Books & Bewitchment

De: Isla Jewell

Narrado por: Thérèse Plummer

In this cozy, witchy romcom, a young woman works to turn a run-down small-town video store into the bookshop of her dreams, only to discover a powerful magic that’s been lying dormant—and a forbidden love she can’t resist.

“There’s a welcoming, Gilmore Girls–esque feel to Arcadia Falls, enhanced with just enough fantastical elements. . . . [Books & Bewitchment] is a sweet treat for a cold winter night.”—Publishers Weekly

Dutiful and hard-working, Rhea Wolfe lives a simple, if mundane, life with her pet parrot in small-town Alabama. Sure, she may not love her desk job working for an insurance agency. And her on-again-off-again relationship with the local mechanic may not have the fiery passion she’s read about in her favorite books. Still, things are stable, which is more than she can say about the two hopelessly immature younger sisters who rely on her.

But when Rhea’s estranged grandmother dies, leaving her everything—including a magical heritage Rhea never knew she carried—she finds herself in Arcadia Falls, the quaint mountain town her mother made her swear to avoid at all costs. While the defunct video store she’s also inherited needs a serious upgrade, Rhea’s lucky that resident handyman Hunter Blakely is more than happy to help—and more than easy on the eyes. If only he wasn’t the grandson of her grandmother’s sworn enemy in witchcraft.

Yet as Rhea makes plans for the bookstore of her dreams, she learns that her grandmother made a terrible choice, one that could ruin her own chance at happiness. As she gets ever closer to solving the mystery of what exactly is happening, each clue points to Arcadia Falls’s magic hanging in the balance. To keep her new home safe, Rhea must step into her enchanted birthright and harness her newfound powers . . . before it’s too late.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Books & Bewitchment is brimming with charming characters, magic, a guy who might just be the world’s sexiest handyman, and so much heart. Isla Jewell cast a spell on me that I never wanted to end!”—Jenna Levine, USA Today bestselling author of My Roommate Is a Vampire

“Deliciously delightful! I adored this adorable book! You’ll laugh, you’ll swoon, and you’ll want to stay in Arcadia Falls!”—Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop

“Books & Bewitchment had me bewitched from the very first page! Isla Jewell has crafted a warm hug of a love story that perfectly balances magic, romance, and family secrets. Arcadia Falls is my new small-town obsession with the kind of carefully crafted characters I want to be friends within real life. A book you will want to curl up with and finish in one sitting!”—Falon Ballard, USA Today bestselling author of Change of Heart

“Cozy and fun—break out the popcorn and a mug of your favorite warm beverage!”—Caitlin Rozakis, New York Times bestselling author of Dreadful and Startup Hell

“A sticky, southern-fried comfort dish combining nostalgia, magical romance, and the struggle of the capable sibling. . . . The spells will delight you. The kisses will make your knees go weak. . . . you should indulge in this cozy, whimsical read!”—Molly Harper, USA Today bestselling author of Hex Around and Find Out

“Books & Bewitchment is an utterly charming story for booklovers and anyone who has ever dreamed of a fresh start. It’s a cozy love letter to small towns, found family, and the power of a good book. Sharply funny and wonderfully kind, my only hope is that it’s the first in a series.”—Lish McBride, award-winning author of A Little Too Familiar

“Absolutely cozy and full of whimsy, this romance enchants. I wish I could live in Arcadia Falls!”—Katie Holt, author of Not in My Book

“Filled with love, laughter, and no shortage of mystery, this cozy romantasy . . . is a sweet treat for a cold winter night.”—Publishers Weekly

“A feel-good quick read, [Books & Bewitchment] is humorous, sweet, and quirky and will appeal to fans of the cozy paranormal romances of Molly Harper and Lana Harper.”—Booklist

Cozy fantasy romcom

Books & Bewitchment is Delilah S. Dawson's first novel under the pen name Isla Jewell. It's a cozy fantasy romcom set in a mystical small town in the north Georgia mountains.

When Rhea Wolfe's grandmother dies and leaves everything to the granddaughter she'd never met, Rhea takes a trip to Arcadia Falls - a place her late mother told her never to visit. The oldest of three girls, Rhea wants to sell whatever she's been left in the will so she can share the funds with her sisters. All three women have been living paycheck to paycheck and hope this inheritance will give them all a new start in life.

The properties, however, are in a very specific trust and cannot be sold. Rhea's only option is to use the trust's funds to renovate the properties so she can rent them out. There are four buildings but only one is a functional store, renting VHS tapes and selling boiled peanuts. There are also three apartments upstairs, but only one is livable at the moment - the one where her grandmother lived.

A quirk in the will says she must throw her grandmother's ashes into the falls before the properties can be conveyed. That's when the magic hits Rhea, and she's introduced to her heritage as a witch. Her grandmother's grimoire has been hidden, though, and she has to hunt it down while dealing with an angry poltergeist in the storage room. Along the way she meets a handsome witch, makes new friends, and decides she might be able to stay in Arcadia Falls if she can turn the video store into a bookshop and make enough money to survive on.

Books & Bewitchment is full of big personalities, Southern charm, and dollops of humor, and I can easily imagine returning to Arcadia Falls to see each of Rhea's sisters find their true calling - and maybe love - alongside their big sister. I look forward to seeing what comes next.

so cozy! so cute!

I loved the characters, the performance delivering the story, and of course the story. the conflict was not too angsty, and the town sounds like exactly the sort of escapist place we cozy readers crave.

Bewitching

What a fun book. There was mystery, romance, comedy (so punny), ghosts, magic, and family (found, friends, and blood). Rhea is down on her luck and needs a fresh start and when things are getting particularly bad she catches a break she didn’t expect or want. The unexpected (kind of) windfall takes her back to her roots and forces her to decide to build a community with the towns people. Through the trials and tribulations she faces she learns her family history, connects to her estranged grandmother from beyond the grave, and finds her calling. The romance is a little enemies to lovers but they never hate each other and have instant chemistry that sizzles through the whole book.